Rouzbeh Parsi is PhD in History and an expert on the emergence of the international system, diplomacy, and the Middle East, particularly Iran. He is an affiliated lecturer in Human Rights Studies at Lund University. The paper presented at this seminar is co-written with Jessica Larsen, Senior Researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies.

In the paper "Me, myself, and I? Anthropological reflections on international relations and diplomacy in a multipolar world", Rouzbeh Parsi and Jessica Larsen develop a methodological framework called ‘the anthropology of international relations’ (AIR). It focuses on a distinct practice, namely diplomatic performativity. Through this performativity individual (diplomat) and collective identities (institutions, states) are constantly moulded in interaction with others. By identifying the elements in the process of Self/Other, AIR bridges certain strands in anthropology and IR that study practices in international policy processes and take social interaction seriously as a key analytical component in international politics. 

More about Rouzbeh Parsi here.

More about Jessica Larsen here.